- Mr. Vikrant Rana, Managing Partner, S.S. Rana & Co. 

1. What is the biggest opportunity you see for Indo-French business collaboration in the next 5 years? Please let us know how your organisation is preparing for it. 

French Companies have a prominent presence in India, and they have significantly contributed towards the economical as well as innovation landscape of India. The French companies have been instrumental in fostering technological advancements as well as creating job opportunities. 

Being an IPR and Corporate Law Firm, we observed that the IP filings by French companies in India have been moderate. For instance, the number of IP applications filed by French companies in India as published in the recent IPINDIA report is as under: Patents – 929; Trademarks – 181 and Designs – 119. Hence, what we see is that the number of filings for trademarks and designs is relatively low. 
 
To augment the footprint of french companies in India, it is essential that their Intellectual property is protected. By virtue of our association with IFCCI, we aim to make French companies aware about the importance of protection of their IP in India as well as enforcement i.e. taking legal action against misuse of IP. 

Hence, in the next 5 years we are hopeful that more IP filings will be received from French companies. 

2. In today’s evolving global landscape, how are you building resilience and agility in your leadership strategy? 

When we talk about leadership strategy, adaptability is indeed one of the most intrinsic features. In today's rapidly evolving global landscape, adaptability to change and leveraging innovation and technology in the organization is very important. 

We have been trying to integrate technology and innovation into our day-to-day work and have automated most of the routine tasks. 

We take pride in the fact that we have established an emotional connection with the members of the firm, and we consistently work towards their empowerment and development in both their personal and professional spheres. 

3. With sustainability and innovation now essential to business success, could you share some recent initiatives your company has undertaken in these areas? 

Both sustainability and innovation have been incorporated in the work of our organization and are extremely essential for our business success. 

For instance, to ensure sustainability we follow numerous circular economy solutions. We have formulated a Green Policy in the firm to create awareness and educate our employees about Climate Change and Environmental issues. 

Under the policy, we take following measures to ensure sustainability: 

• Using energy efficient electrical appliances 

• Encouraging use of natural day light 

Specifically aiming to reduce carbon emissions by: 

• Encouraging employees to prefer public transport or carpooling 

• Conducting video and tele-conferences with clients, concerned authorities to avoid air travel, car travel or otherwise 

• Collecting and donating e-waste to NGOs for recycling 

• Monitoring and regulating air conditioning at optimal temperatures 

Preserving and protecting environment by: 

• Minimizing paper usage in the organization 

• Recycling paper waste 

• E-filing of applications in order to reduce 50% of paperwork 

• Encouraging green plantations in and around office premises 

• Observing World Environment Day every year by organizing a green quiz and engaging employees in sapling plantation in the green areas around the office premises 

• Making the organization and surrounding premises a no-smoking zone 

Innovation and fostering technological advancements have been a very intrinsic goal of the firm. The firm has a state-of-the-Art proprietary legal workflow Management called the ‘IMS’. All non-legal and transactional tasks have been automated. We are able to auto ingest all emails received from the IPO and auto update our status, remarks, best action dates and send information to the client automated. This automation has significantly improved turnaround time, accuracy, and reduced human error. 

The software also uses artificial intelligence and machine learning and helps us better forecast the workflow etc. AI and ML are increasingly being used for trademark searches including device searches using image recognition techniques. The software handles all aspects of IP right from trademarks, copyright, design, patent, filing prosecution renewal maintenance, enforcement, Litigation. We are a paperless office and only maintain original official documents in paper form as records. 

The firm began investing significantly in information and technology from 2010 onwards. As a result of this early adoption of technology, the firm was able to transition to remote work seamlessly during the nationwide lockdown in 2020, with no disruption to our operations. 

4. As a CEO, how do you view India's role in your global growth strategy and what strategic advantages does the country offer your business or the industry you operate in? 

India has immense opportunities for businesses. We have a huge consumer base, which makes it a fertile nation for investment and growth opportunities. It is indeed noteworthy to mention that in the past decade, the Government has taken several initiatives and floated schemes and incentives which have made doing business in India easier. 

Startups and MSMEs are increasing in India by leaps and bounds. When we talk about our industry, IP filings have been constantly increasing in India, which offers us tremendous opportunities for growth. The IP Division has also been established with various High Courts in India, which has drastically changed the IP enforcement landscape.